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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he commented. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their initial loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."